Hand terminals

When you use hand terminals, you ensure that the logistics processes within your warehouse run faster and more smoothly. They can be used for different purposes. For example, the terminal can be used to record and forward product information and/or data. For example, consider:

A major advantage of hand terminals is the convenience of quickly and properly scanning articles. The handheld terminal is easily portable and highly mobile. You can easily point the scanner at the barcodes you want to scan. The mobility and ease with which hand terminals can be used ensures that work can be done faster and more efficiently, saving time and money.

There are many different hand terminals on the market and not every work situation has the same requirements for the hand terminal. It is important to choose a handheld terminal that meets the needs of your warehouse or factory.

The choice of different types of handheld terminals has only increased with the rise of touchscreens and smartphones. It is easier to use because of better and easier to understand user interfaces, screens are getting better and equipped with a touchscreen, and the processors are getting faster. This also opens up more options and increases the likelihood of finding a terminal that exactly fits your needs. Selection criteria are determined by, among other things, scan distance, robustness, and weight, the need to be able to provide keyboard input, and (roughness of) environmental factors.

The hand terminal is primarily used as a mobile barcode scanner. But which barcode scanner is most suitable for reading the barcodes in your process?

At what distances are barcodes read? All from the same distance, or are there different scan distances? We sometimes see situations where barcodes have to be read from very close (a few centimeters away) to very far (up to more than 10 meters reading distance). And we have handheld terminals that are suitable for these different situations.

The work situation often determines how robust a handheld terminal must be. Some environments require a handheld terminal that is as compact as possible, and that is small and light to carry. In other situations, a handheld terminal is required that can withstand the most demanding environments, temperatures, and can withstand drops and vibrations.

Should there be a keyboard on the hand terminal?

Many handheld terminals do not have a keyboard. They use an OnScreen Keyboard. This is not always the optimal working method: sometimes it is more convenient if the hand terminal does have a physical keyboard. For example, if the employee wears gloves during work, or if data must be entered regularly that cannot be scanned. Many different choices can be made in the choices of hand terminals with a keyboard. Depending on the use, clients sometimes prefer more or fewer keys on the keyboard, or the size of the keys is important for ease of use.

Terminals may be used in rough conditions. It is then wise to opt for water and dust resistant devices. Or maybe you use the hand terminals in a refrigerated or frozen warehouse? We can also advise you on this and ensure that you choose the hand terminal that suits the working environment. DatAction offers many different hand terminals from brands such as Zebra, Honeywell, and Datalogic, so you will always find what you need.

A hand terminal in a warehouse or factory is usually connected to a central computer system via a Wi-Fi connection. The range of the hand terminal is therefore naturally dependent on the Wi-Fi network. When there is a stable and fast wireless connection everywhere in the warehouse, you will not encounter any problems. If this is not the case, DatAction is happy to look into improving your Wi-Fi network so that you can use your terminals as efficiently as possible.

In addition to connections via Wi-Fi, we also support other options for working with hand terminals, for example via a 4G connection. This is mainly used on large industrial sites, in ports, or at airports.

Are you looking for a way to make the use of your handheld terminals even more efficient and less prone to errors? We make it possible to apply sound, speech, and colour in different ways. To ensure that your warehouse employee does not have to constantly look at his screen, we can immediately let the employee know whether the scan is correct or incorrect by means of a sound. By means of speech, we make it possible, for example, to let the employee know immediately at which location the stock should be placed. We can also optimize the user interface. It is essential that the most important information is immediately visible on the screen to avoid wasting time. It still happens too often that you have to search for the necessary information on the screen due to small fonts or a screen that is too full. By displaying the most important information in a large format, employees immediately see what they need to know.

Our handheld terminals excel in connectivity and barcode scanning, and also offer RFID options, cameras, and are equipped with high-performance batteries. Several hand terminals can be equipped with a handy pistol grip, and offer a physical keyboard in addition to a touch screen.

Given the wide variety of handheld terminals, it can be difficult to find the right one. DatAction is happy to help you find the best solutions and optimize your processes. Curious about the best solution for your situation?